320 THE UNIVERSE. 



CHAPTER III. 



MIGRATIONS OF REPTILES AND FISHES. SHOWERS OF FROGS. 



Reptiles scarcely ever carry out migrations on such a 

 scale as to astonish one, either by the number of travellers 

 or by the space over which they extend, but there is one 

 fact in their history which has given rise to long debates, 

 and that is the showers of toads and frogs, which in reality 

 mean compulsory migrations. 



Mention is made of these in very remote times, but later 

 writers generally believed that the assertions of the authors 

 who related them were inventions. Modern observations 

 have at last demonstrated the actual existence of this phe- 

 nomenon, which is explained nowadays in a veiy rational 

 manner. 



These showers of frogs must have been common enough 

 in ancient Greece, seeing that Aristotle gives them a par- 

 ticular name. Alluding to the prevailing idea of his time, 

 which supposed them to come from heaven, he called them 

 messengers of Jupiter. 



Two carefully-observed instances in modern times have 

 especially wrought conviction among the learned. 



The first was attested by a whole company of soldiers, 

 who, during the Revolution, were on a march towards the 

 north of France. In the open country they were assailed 

 by a shower of little toads, which were dashed in their 

 faces, falling; with torrents of water. Astonished at such an 

 unwonted attack, and desirous of satisfying themselves as to 



